ERA18LA050

The pilot reported that while in level cruise flight on the personal flight, he adjusted the throttle and mixture controls. Shortly after, the engine lost total power. Emergency engine procedures did not restore engine power, and the pilot selected a nearby airport for a forced landing. During the subsequent emergency landing, the airplane struck a perimeter fence before impacting the ground just short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident engine examination revealed that when the mixture control was manipulated, the cable moved, but the mixture arm on the carburetor did not move. When the fiber lock nut that attached the mixture cable to the mixture arm was tightened, the mixture linkage operated normally. The engine was then started and operated at various power settings. Given the absence of mechanical issues other than the loose mixture control fiber lock nut, it is likely that the mixture linkage became loose and the mixture control arm vibrated to the lean direction, which resulted in the mixture being too lean and the engine losing total power.

On December 16, 2017, about 1320 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N95550, experienced a total loss of engine power and impacted terrain prior to the runway at Oasis Ranger Station – US Government Airport (9FL7), Everglades City, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the two private pilots were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Flying Academy Miami as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Miami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida, and was destined for Venice Municipal Airport (VNC), Venice, Florida. According to the pilot flying, they departed TMB with about 26 gallons of fuel and climbed to a cruise altitude of 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl). He reduced engine power, leaned the mixture, and approximately 5 minutes later, the engine lost total power. He declared an emergency and elected to try to land at 9FL7, which was nearby, and began attempting to restart the engine. The airplane continued to descend, they entered the base leg of the traffic pattern, and he "secured the cockpit for landing," by leaning the mixture, pulling the throttle fully aft, turning the carburetor heat and the electrical equipment off. According to the pilot not flying, while on final approach to the runway, they unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine "one last time," but the propeller "only spun three times and then stopped." While on short final, the airplane struck an airport perimeter fence prior to impacting the ground just short of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright in a grassy area. An examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage was wrinkled and substantially damaged. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the airplane was issued an airworthiness certificate in 1984, and registered to the corporation in 2016. It was equipped with a Lycoming O-235-L2C, a 110-hp, engine. According to the engine maintenance logbook, the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on November 24, 2017, at a total time of 10,264.5 hours, and a tach time of 1899.3 hours. The most recent work on the carburetor occurred on July 4, 2017, when it was replaced at a tach time of 1747.7 hours. No other entries or remarks were in the maintenance logs associated with the carburetor. The tachometer time at the time of the accident was 1930.5 hours. An examination of the engine by a National Transportation Safety Board investigator revealed that it remained attached to the airframe. Suction and compression were confirmed on all the cylinders and the spark plugs exhibited normal wear when compared to the Champion Check-A-Plug Chart. The throttle linkage remained secure to the carburetor. The mixture control was manipulated, and the cable moved, but the mixture arm on the carburetor did not move. The fiber locking nut that attached themixture cable to the mixture arm was tightened and then the mixture cable and arm moved without anomaly. The airplane was secured to a trailer, fuel was plumbed into to the carburetor, and the engine was started. It ran smoothly, the engine power was increased with the throttle until an increase in RPM was noted, and then the engine was shutdown.